Beautiful Gong Shim (2016)

The best way I can describe this show is by asking you to picture a house. It's a very nice house, but over time the foundation seems to crumble. Then one day, the entire building can't hold itself up anymore and collapses in on itself until it's just a pile of separate, broken parts that used to make a beautiful whole.

Beautiful Gong Shim began as a drama with infinite promise in the rom-com area. The two main characters are quirky and at first glance, you just expect a cute little romance that you can enjoy without much thought. I'll also point out that the first few episodes included some of the most ridiculously funny moments I've ever experienced in any drama, so my expectations were incredibly high as the rest of the episodes came out.

A little past halfway through it, though, the plot tried way too hard to be serious and suspenseful, thus losing its initial humorous merits. The feeling is somewhat like listening to your grandparents tell stories: at first, you're pretty interested, but it quickly gets boring, yet you feel an obligation to sit there until the very last word. I stopped finding things to laugh at. The romantic moments were less rewarding in the midst of the mess of the conspiracy plot the writers drew up for no apparent reason. The characters deteriorated and lost every trait that made them unique.

If there were one redeeming aspect of this drama, I'd have to say that it's Nam Goong Min. Usually a professional in depicting a psycho serial killer in other dramas, this time he's the lead male with a fair amount of goofballness. He was a joy to watch, but his character was not spared in the enormous *let's-make-everyone-generic* massacre. Everyone else fulfilled their roles nicely, but Goong Min's really the star of this show. (Which is interesting, as I thought the directors would give Minah more of a spotlight but she really dropped off the radar late into the drama. I could say less of the wig they made her wear though.)

The music was fun; there were multiple tracks that cheered me up along the way and altogether, they were nice to listen to.

In general, I'd recommend watching maybe the first ten episodes, if not less. The beginning is worth watching, as it puts a smile on your face pretty frequently. It's just the second half that becomes appallingly boring (trust me, you probably wouldn't even miss anything if you skipped straight to the last episode as soon as the story even starts to drag).

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You are looking for something that will make you happy? You need something that will cheer you up and make you smile a lot? Or maybe you want to take a break from action/suspense/mystery dramas that are full of plot twists, that make your brain explode? Then watch this.

Story:
As a rom-com drama i have to say it was good. The romance between Gong Shim and Ahn Dan Tae was really cute and pleasent to watch. I wish there were more romantic moments between them though and also more kisses, which semeed too unnatural for me. There were a lot (like.. a lot) of funny moments and funny characters and i think these funny moments made me love this drama. What i didn't like in the plot is that there were some moments that seemed too unrealistic, at least to me.
Also everything was really predictable. Even from the beginning you know what's going to happen, you know what the writer's idea is. I don't really mind that though, it was interesting anyway.

Acting/Cast:
I just love the cast! When you see Minah as a main role, you'll probably think that she will ruin the drama with bad acting or something like that because that's what most people think that when they see kpop idol as an actor. But no, Minah IS good at acting. There were moments i just forgot that Gong Shim was actually Minah, she did a great job! But i have to admit, Gong Shim inspired me so much! She is really strong, she never gives up. She acts friendly even with people who hurt her feelings, just because she is too good. And the most important - she knows how to love herself.
It was my first drama with Nam Goong Min and i have to say i'm surprised (in a good way). His acting is really natural and it was just a pleasure to watch him.
Joon Soo is the one who made me smile the most. Ohn Joo Wan really did a good job. His character is really lovable and it's easy to like him.
What to say about Gong Mi though... Yeah, sometimes she was annoying, she was too unnecessary selfish, but i couldn't bring myself to hate her. The actress is pretty and gave me a warm feeling, so i didn't mind Gong Mi most of the time.
I didn't like Bang Eun Hee's acting, her voice were too deep and the way she was talking was so strange that made me cringe.

Music:
I love all the OSTs, especially Coffee Boy's song. It's a song that makes your heart flutter wherever you hear it. Most of the songs are like that - they make you smile like a fool, they make you happy.

Rewatch Value: I will rewatch this for sure. Maybe when I'm sad or maybe when I'm bored, but I'll definitely watch this again.

Overall:
This drama made me happy, it just gave me the warm feeling i needed. It made me believe in my dreams to some extent, so i don't regret watching it. If you love cute couples, even more cute bromances and funny moments this drama is definitely for you. Don't expect too much and you won't be disappointed.

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